25 April - The Prince of Wales is buried at the Abbey of St Wulfstan in Worcester. His widow, Catherine, now Dowager Princess of Wales, is too ill to attend her husband's funeral, suffering from the same mystery illness that is thought to have killed him.

Sir William Herbert of Troy (illegitimate son of the late Earl of Pembroke) gives an undertaking to keep the peace with his half-brother, Sir Walter Herbert of Raglan (who was brother-in-law of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham), and with Henry Myles, his brother-in-law (the father of Blanche Parry).

1506

April - The betrothal to Prince Henry to the Dowager Princess of Wales (1503) is declared invalid (Henry's age at the time is used as a pretext).

14 April - A clandestine Roman Catholic printing press is discovered in a cave on the Little Orme on the north coast where it has been used by the recusant Robert Pugh (squire of Penrhyn Hall) and his chaplain Father William Davies to print Y Drych Cristianogawl ("The Christian Mirror"), the first book to be printed in Wales.[11]

Ban wedy i dynny air yngair alla o ben gyfreith Howel da... A certaine case extracte out of the Auncient Law of Hoel da... whereby it may be gathered that priestes had lawfully maried wyues at that tyme

A briefe and a playne introduction, teachyng how to pronounce the letters in the British tong (now commenly called Walsh)...

1556

Robert Recorde - The Castle of Knowledge, containing the Explication of the Sphere both Celestiall and Materiall, etc.

"G.R. of Milan" (Gruffydd Robert or perhaps Robert Gwyn (c.1540/50-1592/1604)) - Y Drych Cristianogawl (first part; the first book printed in Wales, on the clandestine Catholic press on the Little Orme, with a false imprint of "Rouen, 1585")[11]

1.
16th century
–
The 16th century begins with the Julian year 1500 and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600. It is regarded by historians as the century in which the rise of the West occurred, during the 16th century, Spain and Portugal explored the worlds seas and opened worldwide oceanic trade routes. In Europe, the Protestant Reformation gave a blow to the authority of the papacy. European politics became dominated by conflicts, with the groundwork for the epochal Thirty Years War being laid towards the end of the century. In Italy, Luca Pacioli published the first work ever on accounting, in United Kingdom, the Italian Alberico Gentili wrote the first book on public international law and divided secularism from canon law and Roman Catholic theology. In the Middle East, the Ottoman Empire continued to expand, with the Sultan taking the title of Caliph, China evacuated the coastal areas, because of Japanese piracy. Japan was suffering a civil war at the time. Mughal Emperor Akbar extended the power of the Mughal Empire to cover most of the South Asian sub continent and his rule significantly influenced arts, and culture in the region. These events directly challenged the notion of an immutable universe supported by Ptolemy and Aristotle. Polybius The Histories translated into Italian, English, German and French, medallion rug, variant Star Ushak style, Anatolia, is made. It is now kept at The Saint Louis Art Museum,1500, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain was born. 1500, Guru Nanak the beginning and spreading of the 5th largest Religion in the World Sikhism,1500, Spanish navigator Vicente Yáñez Pinzón encounters Brazil but is prevented from claiming it by the Treaty of Tordesillas. 1500, Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral claims Brazil for Portugal,1500, The Ottoman fleet of Kemal Reis defeats the Venetians at the Second Battle of Lepanto. 1501, Michelangelo returns to his native Florence to begin work on the statue David,1501, Safavid dynasty reunified Iran and ruled over it until 1736. Safavids adopt a Shia branch of Islam,1502, First reported African slaves in The New World 1503, Foundation of the Sultanate of Sennar by Amara Dunqas, in what is modern Sudan 1503, Spain defeats France at the Battle of Cerignola. Considered to be the first battle in history won by gunpowder small arms,1503, Leonardo da Vinci begins painting the Mona Lisa and completes it three years later. 1503, Nostradamus was born on either December 14, or December 21,1504, A period of drought, with famine in all of Spain. 1504, Death of Isabella I of Castile, Joanna of Castille became the Queen,1505, Zhengde Emperor ascended the throne of Ming Dynasty

2.
Wales
–
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, and it had a population in 2011 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20,779 km2. Wales has over 1,680 miles of coastline and is mountainous, with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon. The country lies within the temperate zone and has a changeable. Welsh national identity emerged among the Celtic Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, Llywelyn ap Gruffudds death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of Englands conquest of Wales, though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 15th century. The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542, distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism, Welsh national feeling grew over the century, Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998, the National Assembly for Wales holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters, two-thirds of the population live in south Wales, mainly in and around Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, and in the nearby valleys. Now that the countrys traditional extractive and heavy industries have gone or are in decline, Wales economy depends on the sector, light and service industries. Wales 2010 gross value added was £45.5 billion, over 560,000 Welsh language speakers live in Wales, and the language is spoken by a majority of the population in parts of the north and west. From the late 19th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the land of song, Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness. The Old English-speaking Anglo-Saxons came to use the term Wælisc when referring to the Celtic Britons in particular, the modern names for some Continental European lands and peoples have a similar etymology. The modern Welsh name for themselves is Cymry, and Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales and these words are descended from the Brythonic word combrogi, meaning fellow-countrymen. The use of the word Cymry as a self-designation derives from the location in the post-Roman Era of the Welsh people in modern Wales as well as in northern England and southern Scotland. It emphasised that the Welsh in modern Wales and in the Hen Ogledd were one people, in particular, the term was not applied to the Cornish or the Breton peoples, who are of similar heritage, culture, and language to the Welsh. The word came into use as a self-description probably before the 7th century and it is attested in a praise poem to Cadwallon ap Cadfan c. 633. Thereafter Cymry prevailed as a reference to the Welsh, until c.1560 the word was spelt Kymry or Cymry, regardless of whether it referred to the people or their homeland. The Latinised forms of names, Cambrian, Cambric and Cambria, survive as lesser-used alternative names for Wales, Welsh

3.
Welsh people
–
The Welsh people or the Welsh are a nation and ethnic group native to, or otherwise associated with, Wales and the Welsh language. Prior to the 20th century, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh, the term Welsh people applies to people from Wales and people of Welsh ancestry perceiving themselves or being perceived as sharing a cultural heritage and shared ancestral origins. Over 300,000 Welsh people live in London, the same etymological origin is shared by the names of various other Celtic or Latin peoples such as the Walloons and the Vlachs, as well as of the Swiss canton of Valais. The modern Welsh name for themselves is Cymry, and Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales and these words are descended from the Brythonic word combrogi, meaning fellow-countrymen. They thus carry a sense of land of fellow-countrymen, our country, the word came into use as a self-description probably before the 7th century. It is attested in a poem to Cadwallon ap Cadfan c. 633. Thereafter Cymry prevailed as a reference to the Welsh, until c.1560 the word was spelt Kymry or Cymry, regardless of whether it referred to the people or their homeland. During their time in Britain, the ancient Romans encountered tribes in present-day Wales that they called the Ordovices, the Demetae, the Silures and the Deceangli. The people of what is now Wales were not distinguished from the rest of the peoples of southern Britain, all were called Britons and spoke the common British language, a Brythonic Celtic tongue. Celtic language and culture seems to have arrived in Britain during the Iron Age, the claim has also been made that Indo-European languages may have been introduced to the British Isles as early as the early Neolithic, with Goidelic and Brythonic languages developing indigenously. The genetic evidence in this case would show that the change to Celtic languages in Britain may have occurred as a cultural rather than through migration as was previously supposed. The assumed genetic imprint of Neolithic incomers is seen as a cline, with stronger Neolithic representation in the east of Europe, when the Roman legions departed Britain around 400, a Romano-British culture remained in the areas the Romans had settled, and the pre-Roman cultures in others. According to Stephen Oppenheimer 96% of lineages in Llangefni in north Wales derive from Iberia, Genetic marker R1b averages from 83–89% amongst the Welsh. The people in what is now Wales continued to speak Brythonic languages with additions from Latin, the surviving poem Y Gododdin is in early Welsh and refers to the Brythonic kingdom of Gododdin with a capital at Din Eidyn and extending from the area of Stirling to the Tyne. John Davies places the change from Brythonic to Welsh between 400 and 700, offas Dyke was erected in the mid-8th century, forming a barrier between Wales and Mercia. The genetic tests suggested that between 50% and 100% of the population of what was to become England was wiped out. In 2001, research for a BBC programme on the Vikings suggested a strong link between the Celts and Basques, dating back tens of thousands of years. The UCL research suggested a migration on a huge scale during the Anglo-Saxon period and it appears England is made up of an ethnic cleansing event from people coming across from the continent after the Romans left, said Dr Mark Thomas, of the Centre for Genetic Anthropology at UCL

4.
Arthur, Prince of Wales
–
Arthur Tudor was Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester and Duke of Cornwall. As the eldest son and heir apparent of Henry VII of England and his mother, Elizabeth of York, was the daughter of Edward IV, and his birth cemented the union between the House of Tudor and the House of York. Plans for Arthurs marriage began before his birthday, he was installed as Prince of Wales two years later. He grew especially close to his siblings Margaret and Henry, Duke of York, at the age of eleven, Arthur was formally betrothed to Catherine of Aragon, a daughter of the powerful Catholic Monarchs in Spain, in an effort to forge an Anglo-Spanish alliance against France. Arthur was well educated and, contrary to some belief, was in good health for the majority of his life. Soon after his marriage to Catherine in 1501, the took up residence at Ludlow Castle in Shropshire. Catherine would later state that the marriage had not been consummated. One year after Arthurs death, Henry VII renewed his efforts of sealing an alliance with Spain by arranging for Catherine to marry Arthurs brother Henry. Arthurs untimely death paved the way for Henrys accession as Henry VIII in 1509, in 1485, Henry Tudor became King of England upon defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. On this occasion, Camelot was identified as present-day Winchester, and his wife, born at Saint Swithuns Priory on 20 September 1486 at about 1 am, Arthur was Henry and Elizabeths eldest child. Arthurs birth was anticipated by French and Italian humanists eager for the start of a Virgilian golden age, Sir Francis Bacon wrote that although the Prince was born one month premature, he was strong and able. Young Arthur was viewed as a symbol of not only the union between the House of Tudor and the House of York, but also of the end of the Wars of the Roses. In the opinion of contemporaries, Arthur was the hope of the newly established House of Tudor. Arthur became Duke of Cornwall at birth, four days after his birth, the baby was baptised at Winchester Cathedral by the Bishop of Worcester, John Alcock, and his baptism was immediately followed by his Confirmation. Initially, Arthurs nursery in Farnham was headed by Elizabeth Darcy, after Arthur was created Prince of Wales in 1490, he was awarded a household structure at the behest of his father. Over the next thirteen years, Henry VII and Elizabeth would have six more children, Arthur was especially close to his sister Margaret and his brother Henry, with whom he shared a nursery. On 29 November 1489, after being made a Knight of the Bath, Arthur was appointed Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, and was invested as such at the Palace of Westminster on 27 February 1490. As part of his ceremony, he progressed down the River Thames in the royal barge and was met at Chelsea by the Lord Mayor of London, John Mathewe

5.
Henry VIII of England
–
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. Henry was the second Tudor monarch, succeeding his father, Henry VII, Henry is best known for his six marriages and, in particular, his efforts to have his first marriage, to Catherine of Aragon, annulled. Despite his resulting excommunication, Henry remained a believer in core Catholic theological teachings, domestically, Henry is known for his radical changes to the English Constitution, ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings to England. Besides asserting the supremacy over the Church of England, he greatly expanded royal power during his reign. Charges of treason and heresy were commonly used to quash dissent, and he achieved many of his political aims through the work of his chief ministers, some of whom were banished or executed when they fell out of his favour. Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Richard Rich and his contemporaries considered Henry in his prime to be an attractive, educated, and accomplished king, and he has been described as one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne. He was an author and composer, as he aged, Henry became severely obese and his health suffered, contributing to his death in 1547. He is frequently characterised in his life as a lustful, egotistical, harsh. He was succeeded by his son Edward VI, born 28 June 1491 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, London, Henry Tudor was the third child and second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Of the young Henrys six siblings, only three – Arthur, Prince of Wales, Margaret, and Mary – survived infancy and he was baptised by Richard Fox, the Bishop of Exeter, at a church of the Observant Franciscans close to the palace. In 1493, at the age of two, Henry was appointed Constable of Dover Castle and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. He was subsequently appointed Earl Marshal of England and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at age three, and was inducted into the Order of the Bath soon after. The day after the ceremony he was created Duke of York, in May 1495, he was appointed to the Order of the Garter. Henry was given an education from leading tutors, becoming fluent in Latin and French. Not much is known about his early life – save for his appointments – because he was not expected to become king, as Duke of York, Henry used the arms of his father as king, differenced by a label of three points ermine. In 1502, Arthur died at the age of 15 of sweating sickness, Arthurs death thrust all his duties upon his younger brother, the 10-year-old Henry. After a little debate, Henry became the new Duke of Cornwall in October 1502, Henry VII gave the boy few tasks. Young Henry was strictly supervised and did not appear in public, as a result, the young Henry would later ascend the throne untrained in the exacting art of kingship

6.
Catherine of Aragon
–
The daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, Catherine was three years old when she was betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the English throne. They married in 1501, but Arthur died five months later on 2 April 1502, in 1507, she held the position of ambassador of the Aragonese Crown in England, the first female ambassador in European history. Catherine subsequently married Arthurs younger brother, the recently ascended Henry VIII, for six months in 1513, she served as regent of England while Henry VIII was in France. During that time the English won the Battle of Flodden, an event in which Catherine played an important part with a speech about English courage. He sought to have their marriage annulled, setting in motion a chain of events led to Englands schism with the Catholic Church. When Pope Clement VII refused to annul the marriage, Henry defied him by assuming supremacy over religious matters, in 1533 their marriage was consequently declared invalid and Henry married Anne on the judgement of clergy in England, without reference to the Pope. Catherine refused to accept Henry as Supreme Head of the Church in England and considered herself the Kings rightful wife and queen, despite this, she was acknowledged only as Dowager Princess of Wales by Henry. After being banished from court, she lived out the remainder of her life at Kimbolton Castle, English people held Catherine in high esteem, and her death set off tremendous mourning. The controversial book The Education of a Christian Woman by Juan Luis Vives, such was Catherines impression on people that even her enemy, Thomas Cromwell, said of her, If not for her sex, she could have defied all the heroes of History. She successfully appealed for the lives of the involved in the Evil May Day. Catherine also won widespread admiration by starting an extensive programme for the relief of the poor and she was a patron of Renaissance humanism, and a friend of the great scholars Erasmus of Rotterdam and Thomas More. Catherine was born at the Archbishops Palace in Alcalá de Henares near Madrid and she was the youngest surviving child of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. Catherine was quite short in stature with red hair, wide blue eyes, a round face. Consequently, she was cousin of her father-in-law, Henry VII of England. Catherine was educated by a tutor, Alessandro Geraldini, who was a clerk in Holy Orders and she studied arithmetic, canon and civil law, classical literature, genealogy and heraldry, history, philosophy, religion, and theology. She had a religious upbringing and developed her Roman Catholic faith that would play a major role in later life. She learned to speak, read and write in Spanish and Latin and she was also taught domestic skills, such as cooking, dancing, drawing, embroidery, good manners, lace-making, music, needlepoint, sewing, spinning, and weaving. The great scholar Erasmus later said that Catherine loved good literature which she had studied with success since childhood

7.
Plymouth
–
Plymouths early history extends to the Bronze Age, when a first settlement emerged at Mount Batten. This settlement continued as a trading post for the Roman Empire, until it was surpassed by the prosperous village of Sutton founded in the ninth century. In 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers departed Plymouth for the New World, during the English Civil War the town was held by the Parliamentarians and was besieged between 1642 and 1646. The combined town took the name of Plymouth which, in 1928, the citys naval importance later led to its targeting and partial destruction during World War II, an act known as the Plymouth Blitz. After the war the city centre was rebuilt and subsequent expansion led to the incorporation of Plympton. The city is home to 262,700 people, making it the 30th most populous area in the United Kingdom. It is governed locally by Plymouth City Council and is represented nationally by three MPs, Plymouths economy remains strongly influenced by shipbuilding and seafaring including ferry links to Brittany and Spain, but has tended toward a service-based economy since the 1990s. It has the largest operational base in Western Europe – HMNB Devonport and is home to Plymouth University. An unidentified settlement named TAMARI OSTIA is listed in Ptolemys Geographia and is presumed to be located in the area of the modern city, at the time this village was called Sutton, meaning south town in Old English. The name Plym Mouth, meaning mouth of the River Plym was first mentioned in a Pipe Roll of 1211, the name Plymouth first officially replaced Sutton in a charter of King Henry VI in 1440. See Plympton for the derivation of the name Plym, during the Hundred Years War a French attack burned a manor house and took some prisoners, but failed to get into the town. In 1403 the town was burned by Breton raiders, on 12 November,1439, the English Parliament made Plymouth the first town incorporated. The castle served to protect Sutton Pool, which is where the fleet was based in Plymouth prior to the establishment of Plymouth Dockyard. In 1512 an Act of Parliament was passed for further fortifying Plymouth, defences on St Nicholas Island also date from this time, and a string of six artillery blockhouses were built, including one on Fishers Nose at the south-eastern corner of the Hoe. This location was further strengthened by the building of a fort in 1596, during the 16th century locally produced wool was the major export commodity. According to legend, Drake insisted on completing his game of bowls on the Hoe before engaging the Spanish Armada in 1588. In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for the New World from Plymouth, during the English Civil War Plymouth sided with the Parliamentarians and was besieged for almost four years by the Royalists. The last major attack by the Royalist was by Sir Richard Grenville leading thousands of soldiers towards Plymouth, the civil war ended as a Parliamentary win, but monarchy was restored by King Charles II in 1660, who imprisoned many of the Parliamentary heroes on Drakes Island

8.
St Paul's Cathedral
–
St Pauls Cathedral, London, is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grade 1 listed building and its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD604. The present church, dating from the late 17th century, was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren and its construction, completed in Wrens lifetime, was part of a major rebuilding programme in the City after the Great Fire of London. The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London and its dome, framed by the spires of Wrens City churches, dominated the skyline for 300 years. At 365 feet high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1967, the dome is among the highest in the world. St Pauls is the second-largest church building in area in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral, St Pauls Cathedral occupies a significant place in the national identity. It is the subject of much promotional material, as well as of images of the dome surrounded by the smoke. St Pauls Cathedral is a church with hourly prayer and daily services. The entry fee is £18 for adults, the location of Londiniums original cathedral is unknown. In 1995, however, a large and ornate 5th century building on Tower Hill was excavated, the Elizabethan antiquarian William Camden argued that a temple to the goddess Diana had stood during Roman times on the site occupied by the medieval St Pauls Cathedral. Wren reported that he had no trace of any such temple during the works to build the new cathedral after the Great Fire. Bede records that in AD604 St Augustine consecrated Mellitus as the first bishop to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Saxons and their king, Sæberht. Sæberhts uncle and overlord, Æthelberht, king of Kent, built a dedicated to St Paul in London. It is assumed, although unproven, that this first Anglo-Saxon cathedral stood on the site as the later medieval. On the death of Sæberht in about 616, his sons expelled Mellitus from London. The fate of the first cathedral building is unknown and this building, or a successor, was destroyed by fire in 962, but rebuilt in the same year. King Æthelred the Unready was buried in the cathedral on his death in 1016, the cathedral was burnt, with much of the city, in a fire in 1087, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The fourth St Pauls, generally referred to as Old St Pauls, was begun by the Normans after the 1087 fire, a further fire in 1136 disrupted the work, and the new cathedral was not consecrated until 1240

9.
Ludlow Castle
–
Ludlow Castle is a ruined medieval fortification in the town of the same name in the English county of Shropshire, standing on a promontory overlooking the River Teme. The castle was founded by Walter de Lacy after the Norman conquest and was one of the first stone castles to be built in England. During the civil war of the 12th century the castle changed several times between the de Lacys and rival claimants, and was further fortified with a Great Tower. In the mid-13th century, Ludlow was passed on to Geoffrey de Geneville who rebuilt part of the bailey. Roger Mortimer acquired the castle in 1301, further extending the internal complex of buildings, Richard, the Duke of York, inherited the castle in 1425, and it became an important symbol of Yorkist authority during the Wars of the Roses. When Richards son, Edward IV, seized the throne in 1461 it passed into the ownership of the Crown. Ludlow Castle was chosen as the seat of the Council in the Marches of Wales, effectively acting as the capital of Wales, by the 17th century the castle was luxuriously appointed, hosting cultural events such as the first performance of John Miltons masque Comus. Ludlow Castle was held by the Royalists during the English Civil War of the 1640s, until it was besieged, the contents of the castle were sold off and a garrison was retained there for much of the interregnum. Henry Herbert, the Earl of Powis, leased the property from the Crown in 1772, extensively landscaping the ruins, and his brother-in-law, Edward Clive, bought the castle outright in 1811. A mansion was constructed in the outer bailey but the remainder of the castle was largely untouched, attracting an increasing number of visitors. After 1900, Ludlow Castle was cleared of vegetation and over the course of the century it was repaired by the Powis Estate. In the 21st century it is owned by the Earl of Powis. The architecture of Ludlow reflects its history, retaining a blend of several styles of building. The castle is approximately 500 by 435 feet in size, covering almost 5 acres, English Heritage notes that the ruins represent a remarkably complete multi-phase complex and considers Ludlow to be one of Englands finest castle sites. Ludlow Castle was probably founded by Walter de Lacy around 1075, Walter had arrived in England in 1066 as part of William fitzOsberns household during the Norman conquest of England. FitzOsbern was made the Earl of Hereford and tasked with settling the area, at the time, several castles were founded in the west of the county. Walter de Lacy was the second in command, and was rewarded with 163 manors spread across seven counties. Walter began building a castle within the manor of Stanton Lacy, Ludlow was the most important of Walters castles, as well as being at the heart of his new estates, the site also lay at a strategic crossroads over the Teme River, on a strong defensive promontory

10.
Sir Richard Pole
–
Sir Richard Pole, KG was a Welshman who was a supporter and close relation of King Henry VII. A descendant of an ancient Welsh family, Sir Richard was a gentleman of Buckinghamshire, the son of Geoffrey Pole Esquire of Worrell, Cheshire. His mother was Edith St John, daughter of Sir Oliver St John of Bletso, Bedfordshire and they shared the same mother, Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso, who had married three times, this made Richard a first cousin of the half blood to Henry VII. Sir Richard was thus first cousin of Alice St John, wife of Henry Parker, 10th Baron Morley and mother of Jane Parker, wife of George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford. Henry VII gave him various offices in Wales, he was Constable of Harlech and Montgomery castles, in 1495 Pole raised men against the rebellion of Perkin Warbeck. King Henry later made him Chief Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to Arthur, Pole was invested as a Knight of the Garter on April 1499. After Prince Arthur married Catherine of Aragon in 1501 Pole accompanied them to Ludlow Castle where Arthur took his role as President of the Council of Wales, Pole was later given responsibility for the Welsh Marches. He also had the task of meeting with the Council of Wales. He married Margaret Plantagenet, daughter of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence and Isabella Plantagenet, Duchess of Clarence, on the topic of the marriage, William Shakespeare wrote His daughter meanly have I matchd in marriage. And Horace Walpole wrote in his correspondence, Henry had married her to the insignificant Sir Richard Pole who is called a Welsh Knight and he died before 18 December 1505. Henry Pole, his wife and his mother were beheaded by Henry VIII, ironically a great-grandson of Henry Pole was Sir John Bourchier, a regicide of beheaded King Charles I of England - a great-great-grandnephew of Henry VIII. Reginald Pole, cardinal, papal legate in various regions, including England, John Pakenham was an ancestor of Sir Edward Pakenham, brother-in-law of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Lady Ursula Pole, Baroness Stafford, married the 1st Baron Stafford

11.
Henry VII of England
–
Henry VII was King of England from seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, and the first monarch of the House of Tudor. He ruled the Principality of Wales until 29 November 1489 and was Lord of Ireland, Henry won the throne when his forces defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the culmination of the Wars of the Roses. Henry was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle and he cemented his claim by marrying Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and niece of Richard III. Henry was successful in restoring the power and stability of the English monarchy after the civil war and his supportive stance of the islands wool industry and stand off with the Low Countries had long lasting benefits to all the British Isles economy. However, the capriciousness and lack of due process that many would tarnish his legacy and were soon ended upon Henry VIIs death. According to the contemporary historian Polydore Vergil, simple greed underscored the means by which royal control was over-asserted in Henrys final years, Henry VII was born at Pembroke Castle on 28 January 1457 to Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond. His father, Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, died three months before his birth, Henrys paternal grandfather, Owen Tudor, originally from the Tudors of Penmynydd, Isle of Anglesey in Wales, had been a page in the court of Henry V. He rose to one of the Squires to the Body to the King after military service at the Battle of Agincourt. Owen is said to have married the widow of Henry V. One of their sons was Edmund Tudor, father of Henry VII, Edmund was created Earl of Richmond in 1452, and formally declared legitimate by Parliament. Henrys main claim to the English throne derived from his mother through the House of Beaufort, Henrys mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, was a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, fourth son of Edward III, and his third wife Katherine Swynford. Katherine was Gaunts mistress for about 25 years, when married in 1396, they already had four children. Thus Henrys claim was somewhat tenuous, it was from a woman, in theory, the Portuguese and Castilian royal families had a better claim as descendants of Catherine of Lancaster, the daughter of John of Gaunt and his second wife Constance of Castile. Gaunts nephew Richard II legitimised Gaunts children by Katherine Swynford by Letters Patent in 1397, in 1407, Henry IV, who was Gaunts son by his first wife, issued new Letters Patent confirming the legitimacy of his half-siblings, but also declaring them ineligible for the throne. Henry IVs action was of doubtful legality, as the Beauforts were previously legitimised by an Act of Parliament, but it further weakened Henrys claim. Henry also made political capital out of his Welsh ancestry, for example in attracting military support. He came from an old, established Anglesey family that claimed descent from Cadwaladr and he took it, as well as the standard of St George, on his procession through London after the victory at Bosworth. A contemporary writer and Henrys biographer, Bernard André, also much of Henrys Welsh descent

12.
St Laurence's Church, Ludlow
–
St Laurences Church, Ludlow is a parish church in the Church of England in Ludlow. The church is a member of the Greater Churches Group and is the largest parish church in Shropshire and it was one of only 18 churches given a five-star rating in Englands Thousand Greatest Churches by Simon Jenkins and is described as the cathedral of the Marches. It is the 13th most popular visitor attraction in the West Midlands. The parish church was established as a place of worship in association with the founding of Ludlow by the Normans in the late 11th century and it is situated atop the hill around which the medieval town developed. The church was rebuilt in the year 1199 and has had several additions and modifications. The tower is 135 feet high and commands views of the town. Notable features include a set of misericords in the choir stalls as well as fine stained glass windows. Original Norman traces were found beneath the porch, indicating some extant foundations exist from the 11th century AD. After its initial construction the church was expanded and rebuilt in 1199 to accommodate a town population. In the late Middle Ages considerable wealth accrued to the town based upon the wool trade, correspondingly the church underwent several further additions in that era. The major works occurred between 1433 and 1471 with a virtual re-building of the nave, tower and chancel elements, the tower took on a Perpendicular style which was the preferred style of the late 15th century in England. The Saint Johns Chapel on the side was the chapel of the Palmers Guild. In 1540, John Leland called the church very Fayre and large and richly adorned, the large east window of the chancel underwent restoration in the year 1832, this window depicts the martyrdom of St Laurence. The most extensive repairs and re-ordering occurred in the period 1859 to 1861, further major restorations took place on the tower in 1889-91, and to the roof in 1953-59. In 2008, a Vision for St Laurences was launched to much needed repairs. Approximately £850,000 of repairs and other work have been completed including urgent conservation, high level masonry, roofs, target 3, the re-ordering of the nave, will be tackled in two phases beginning in 2016. The nave will be reorganised with moveable seating and will be available for wider community use. Phase 2 will include a new floor, kitchen, toilets, shop and other facilities as well as conservation to historic stained glass

13.
Worcester Cathedral
–
Worcester Cathedral, before the English Reformation known as Worcester Priory, is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, England, situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. It is the seat of the Bishop of Worcester and its official name is The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester. Built between 1084 and 1504, Worcester Cathedral represents every style of English architecture from Norman to Perpendicular Gothic. It is famous for its Norman crypt and unique chapter house, its unusual Transitional Gothic bays, its woodwork and its exquisite central tower. What is now the Cathedral was founded in 680 as a Priory, the first priory was built in this period, but nothing now remains of it. The crypt of the cathedral dates from the 10th century. Monks and nuns had been present at the Priory since the seventh century, the monastery became Benedictine in the second half of the tenth century. Remains of the Priory dating from the 12th and 13th centuries can still be seen, the Priory came to an end with King Henry VIIIs Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the Benedictine monks were removed on 18 January 1540 and replaced by secular canons. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the former Priory was re-established as a cathedral of secular clergy, in the 1860s the cathedral was subject to major restoration work planned by Sir George Gilbert Scott and A. E. Perkins. An image of the cathedrals west facade appeared on the reverse of the Series E British £20 note commemorating Sir Edward Elgar, Worcester Cathedral embodies many features that are highly typical of an English medieval cathedral. Like the cathedrals of Salisbury and Lincoln, it has two transepts crossing the nave, rather than the single transept usual on the Continent and this feature of English Cathedrals was to facilitate the private saying of the Holy Office by many clergy or monks. Worcester is also typical of English cathedrals in having a chapter house, Worcester Cathedral has important parts of the building dating from every century from the 11th to the 16th. Its tower in the Perpendicular style is described by Alec Clifton-Taylor as exquisite and is seen best across the River Severn, also from the Norman period is the circular chapter house of 1120, made octagonal on the outside when the walls were reinforced in the 14th century. The oldest parts show alternate layers of sandstone from Highley in Shropshire. The east end was rebuilt over the Norman crypt by Alexander Mason between 1224 and 1269, coinciding with, and in a very similar Early English style to Salisbury Cathedral. From 1360 John Clyve finished off the nave, built its vault, the west front, the north porch and he also strengthened the Norman chapter house, added buttresses and changed its vault. His masterpiece is the tower of 1374, originally supporting a timber, lead-covered spire. Between 1404 and 1432 an unknown architect added the north and south ranges to the cloister, the last important addition is Prince Arthur’s Chantry Chapel to the right of the south choir aisle, 1502–04

14.
William Smyth
–
William Smyth was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1493 to 1496 and then Bishop of Lincoln until his death. He held political offices, the most important being Lord President of the Council of Wales and he became very wealthy and was a benefactor of a number of institutions. He was a co-founder of Brasenose College, Oxford and endowed a school in the village of his birth in Lancashire. Smyth was born in the south Lancashire village of Farnworth in the parish of Prescot, Smyth was the fourth son of Robert Smyth of Peel Hall. He was allegedly brought up during his youth at nearby Knowsley Hall, at this time Stanley was married to his second wife Lady Margaret, Countess of Richmond. Lady Margaret was the mother of the future Henry VII by her previous marriage to Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, Smyth went to the University of Oxford. His college is uncertain, being either Oriel or Lincoln, or both in succession, in 1476 he gained the degree of bachelor of canon law and by 1492 he had received the degree of bachelor of civil law. On 20 October 1485 he was made a canon and prebendary of St Stephens Chapel in the Palace of Westminster and he later obtained the livings of Combe Martin, Devon, of Great Grimsby and on 14 June 1492 he was instituted as rector of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. It is not possible to be sure about all his preferments because of his common name, on 1 October 1492 he became bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and was consecrated on 3 February 1493 by Archbishop Morton. On 6 November 1496 he was translated to the diocese of Lincoln, on 20 September 1485 Smyth gained a place in the Court of Chancery as keeper of the hanaper which gave him a salary for life. In 1486 he obtained a grant for the custody of the daughters of Edward IV, in 1493 Smyth was appointed a member of Prince Arthurs Council of Wales and the Marches. In 1500 he was made Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Prince Arthur died in April 1502 and in August of that year Smyth became Lord President of the Council, giving him full responsibility for the exercise of royal power in Wales. He continued to hold this post until at least 1512 or, possibly, by August 1502 he was no longer Chancellor of Oxford University. In November 1495 Smyth refounded the hospital of St John the Baptist in Lichfield, in 1500 he founded the Cuerdley Chapel which was added to the south aisle of St Lukes Church, Farnworth for the use of his tenants from Cuerdley. The nearby village of Cuerdley was the seat of the very ancient Smith family of Cuerdley his armorial progenitors from which the renowned Captain John Smith also claimed his lineage. He purchased land including a footpath from the village to the church to allow entry for his tenants by a door to avoid contact with the residents of Farnworth at the time of the plague. In 1507 he made an endowment of £350 to found a school in Farnworth. Also in 1507 Smyth founded a fellowship in Oriel College, Oxford, around the same time he and Sir Richard Sutton set out to found a new college in Oxford

15.
Council of Wales and the Marches
–
The Council of Wales and the Marches was a regional administrative body based in Ludlow Castle within the Kingdom of England between the 15th and 17th centuries, similar to the Council of the North. Its area of responsibility varied but generally covered all of modern Wales and it was first established in 1472 by Edward IV of England as a body to counsel and act on behalf of his son, the infant Edward, Prince of Wales. King Edward had recently restored to the monarchy during the Wars of the Roses. He established his son at Ludlow Castle, and appointed his allies from the Woodville, the Council continued after the death of Edward IV and the disappearance of his son. Under Henry VII, the Council was responsible for acting on behalf of his sons as successive Princes of Wales, first Arthur, the second Laws in Wales Act of 1542 gave the Council statutory recognition, it had previously been based solely upon the kings prerogative. It continued to sit at Ludlow, and had responsibilities for the whole of Wales together with the Welsh Marches and these were initially deemed to comprise Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, the City of Bristol was exempted in 1562, and Cheshire in 1569. Worcestershire unsuccessfully attempted to free itself in 1576, and the Councils authority over the English counties was relaxed in 1606, however, its functions were interpreted widely. A leading figure was Sir Henry Sidney, President of the Council from 1560 to 1586, according to historian John Davies, at its peak under Sidney and for a period thereafter the Council represented a remarkable experiment in regional government. It administered the law cheaply and rapidly, it dealt with up to twenty cases a day, the Council was abolished on 25 July 1689, following the Glorious Revolution of 1688 which overthrew James II and established William III as king. According to Davies, when the Council at Ludlow was abolished, there was very little protest in Wales. Instead, the Welsh gentry embraced London and its abolition ultimately led to Ludlow Castles dereliction. The following served as Presidents of the Council, 1473–1500, Bishop John Alcock c, gervase Babington In addition, from 1542 the Justice of Chester often acted as a de facto Vice-President of the Council, without formally holding the title. Council of the North Council of the West Doyle, James William Edmund, the Official Baronage of England, showing the succession, dignities, and offices of every peer from 1066 to 1885. Pollard, A. F. Council, Star Chamber, and Privy Council under the Tudors, the Council of the Marches in the Seventeenth Century. The Council in the Marches of Wales under Elizabeth I

16.
William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (died 1469)
–
William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke KG, known as Black William, was an English nobleman, politician, and courtier. He was the son of William ap Thomas, founder of Raglan Castle, and Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam, and grandson of Dafydd Gam and his father had been an ally of Richard of York, and Herbert supported the Yorkist cause in the Wars of the Roses. In 1461 Herbert was rewarded by King Edward IV with the title Baron Herbert of Raglan, soon after the decisive Yorkist victory at the Battle of Towton in 1461, Herbert replaced Jasper Tudor as Earl of Pembroke which gave him control of Pembroke Castle. However, he fell out with Lord Warwick the Kingmaker in 1469, William and his brother Richard were executed by the Lancastrians, now led by Warwick, after the Battle of Edgecote Moor, near Banbury. Herbert was succeeded by his son, William, but the earldom was surrendered in 1479 and it was later revived for a grandson, another William Herbert, the son of Black Williams illegitimate son, Sir Richard Herbert of Ewyas. He married Anne Devereux, daughter of Walter Devereux, Lord Chancellor of Ireland and they had at least ten children, William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. Married Lady Anne Stafford, sister to the Duke of Buckingham, Sir George Herbert of St. Julians. Married Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, married George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent. Married John Grey, 1st Baron Grey of Powis, 9th Lord of Powys, married first Thomas Talbot, 2nd Viscount Lisle and secondly Sir Henry Bodringham. William had three sons but the identities of their mothers are unconfirmed, Sir Richard Herbert of Ewyas. Father of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, probably son of Maud, daughter of Adam ap Howell Graunt. The son of Frond verch Hoesgyn, married, second, Blanche Whitney see Blanche Milborne

17.
Robert Sherborne
–
Robert Sherborne was bishop of Chichester from 1508 to 1536. Sherborne was Archdeacon of Huntingdon, Archdeacon of Buckingham and of Taunton, exceptionally, he held ecclesiastical posts prior to ordination, he was made a deacon in 1499 and ordained a priest on 5 March 1501. From 1505 to 1508 he was bishop of St Davids, Sherborne was a patron of the artist Lambert Barnard, commissioning several series of paintings from him. He founded the Free Grammar School in Rolleston, around 1520, concise Dictionary of National Biography Steer, Francis W. Robert Sherburne Bishop of Chichester, Some Aspects of his Life Reconsidered, Chichester Papers No.16 Biographical notes

18.
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
–
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham KG was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and he was convicted of treason, and executed on 17 May 1521. After the execution of the 2nd Duke of Buckingham, his widow, Catherine Woodville, married Jasper Tudor, second son of Owen Tudor and King Henry Vs widow, after Jasper Tudors death on 21 December 1495, Catherine Woodville married Sir Richard Wingfield. Catherine Woodville died 18 May 1497, after her death, Sir Richard Wingfield married Bridget Wiltshire, daughter and heiress of Sir John Wiltshire of Stone, Kent. In October 1483 Staffords father participated in a rebellion against King Richard III and he was beheaded without trial on 2 November 1483, whereby all his honours were forfeited. Stafford is said to have hidden in various houses in Herefordshire at the time of the rebellion. In September 1497 he was a captain in the forces sent to quell a rebellion in Cornwall, according to Davies, as a young man Buckingham played a conspicuous part in royal weddings and the reception of ambassadors and foreign princes, dazzling observers by his sartorial splendour. At the wedding of Henry VIIs then eldest son and heir Arthur, Prince of Wales and he was the chief challenger at the tournament held the following day. At the accession of King Henry VIII, Buckingham was appointed on 23 June 1509, for the day of the only, Lord High Constable. He also served as Lord High Steward at the coronation, in 1509 he was made a member of the Kings Privy Council. In 1510 Buckingham was involved in a scandal concerning Anne, his sister, after hearing rumours concerning her and Sir William Compton, Buckingham found Compton in Annes room. Compton was forced to take the sacrament to prove that he and Anne had not committed adultery, there is no extant evidence establishing that Anne and Sir William Compton were guilty of adultery. There are some suggestions that the affair continued until 1513, from June to October 1513 Buckingham served as a captain during Henry VIIIs invasion of France, commanding 500 men in the middle ward. About 1517 he was one of twelve challengers chosen to tilt against the King and his companions and he and his wife, Eleanor, attended the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. According to Davies, in general Buckingham exercised little direct political influence, during 1520, Buckingham became suspected of potentially treasonous actions and Henry VIII authorised an investigation. The King personally examined witnesses against him, gathering evidence for a trial. The Duke was finally summoned to Court in April 1521 and arrested and placed in the Tower and he was tried before a panel of 17 peers, being accused of listening to prophecies of the Kings death and intending to kill the King. He was executed on Tower Hill on 17 May, Buckingham was posthumously attainted by Act of Parliament on 31 July 1523, disinheriting most of his wealth from his children

19.
Blanche Parry
–
Blanche Parry was a personal attendant of Queen Elizabeth I of England, Chief Gentlewoman of Queen Elizabeth’s most honourable Privy Chamber and Keeper of Her Majesty’s jewels. Blanche was the daughter of Harry ap Miles of Newcourt, Blanche came from prominent border gentry and nine bardic poems refer to her family, five by Guto’r Glyn and one each by Gwilym Tew, Howel Dafi, Huw Cae Llwyd and Lewys Morgannwg. She was born at Newcourt, Bacton, Herefordshire and her parents were Henry Myles and his English wife Alice. Henry Myles was Steward of Ewyas Lacy, Steward of Dore Abbey and he was related to the Herbert family of the Earls of Pembroke. Blanche was bilingual in Welsh and English, though brought up in a Welsh cultural environment, there are strong indications of earlier family connections to the Lollards and Blanches mother’s family were connected to Sir John Oldcastle. However, Blanche Parry and her sisters may have been educated by the Augustinian nuns of Aconbury, Blanche Parry arrived at the Royal Court with her aunt, Blanche Milborne Lady Troy, who was the Lady Mistress to Edward VI and Elizabeth I as children. Blanche Parry herself wrote in her epitaph in Bacton Church that she was the Queens servant, whose cradle saw I rocked, from Elizabeths birth in 1533, thereafter she hardly left Elizabeth and almost certainly attended her in the Tower of London before she came to the throne. After Elizabeths accession in 1558, and Kat Ashleys death in 1565, Blanche was appointed the Chief Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber, and she was one of those who could control access to the Queen. She was in charge of the Queens jewels from before Elizabeths accession and she received considerable sums of money on behalf of the Queen. She passed information to the Queen and presentations of parliamentary bills and she also wrote letters on the Queens behalf. In addition, she supervised the Queens linen and other things belonging to her majesty, Blanche Parrys position at the centre of the Royal Court was fully recognised at the time. She was friends with Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley, the Queen treated Blanche Parry as a baroness. Amongst the material rewards she received from Elizabeth were two wardships and she acquired lands in Herefordshire, Yorkshire and Wales, a meticulous lady, Blanche Parry commissioned the first known map of Llangorse Lake in 1584 to aid the deliberations in the court case in which she became involved. Lord Burghley supervised Blanche Parrys two Wills, and his notes in his own handwriting survive for her first Will of 1578, thinking she might retire to the family property of Newcourt, Blanche commissioned her monument in Bacton Church. Dated to before November 1578, this has the first depiction of Queen Elizabeth I as Gloriana, the inscription on this monument said, With maiden Queen a maid did end my life. Blanche Parry did not retire, however, staying with the Queen until her death, and was buried in St. Margarets, Westminster, George Ballard saw her tomb in its original location in the 18th century. Her heart was interred at Bacton Church, Herefordshire, an altar cloth preserved in the church was fashioned from an embroidered Elizabethan court dress, with an original design that is very similar to the Rainbow Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. Ballard, George, Memoirs of several ladies of Great Britain, lionel Cust, Queen Elizabeths Kirtle, The Burlington Magazine, vol.33, no.189, pp. 196-201

20.
St Giles' Church, Wrexham
–
St Giles Church is the parish church of Wrexham, Wales, and is a Grade 1 listed building, described by Simon Jenkins as the glory of the Marches. At 180-feet long, it is the largest mediaeval Parish Church in Wales, since 2012, its interior has been re-ordered to include a remodelling of the Chancel as St Davids Chapel, and its north aisle is the home of the regimental chapel of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. In this depiction, Stanley has a crown, but donkeys ears, the churchs tower is mistakenly called a steeple in the rhyme. The iconic tower can be seen for miles around as the tallest building in the town and is a local landmark. The richly-decorated tower, 135-feet high, with its four striking hexagonal turrets, was begun in 1506 and it is graced by many medieval carvings including those of an arrow and a deer, the attributes of Saint Giles. Above the present chancel arch is a 15th-century Doom painting, and it also contains late medieval carvings including on the ceiling wooden polychrome angels playing musical instruments, and a series of later monuments including two by Roubiliac. The hymn was composed and first performed at the Church in 1819. The churchyard is entered through gates, completed in 1719 by the Davies Brothers of nearby Bersham. In 2012, wrexham. com placed a webcam pointed at St Giles giving a view of the church. June 2012 saw a beacon being lit on top of St Giles as part of the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations, St Giles Parish site Panoramic views from the Church - from the BBC Artwork at St Giles Church, Wrexham

21.
Caernarfon
–
Caernarfon is a royal town, community, and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,615. It lies along the A487 road, on the shore of the Menai Strait. The city of Bangor is 8.6 miles to the north-east, Carnarvon and Caernarvon are Anglicised spellings that were superseded in 1926 and 1974, respectively. The villages of Bontnewydd and Caeathro are close by, abundant natural resources in and around the Menai Straits enabled human habitation in prehistoric Britain. The Ordovices, a Celtic tribe, lived in the region during the known as Roman Britain. The Roman fort Segontium was established around AD80 to subjugate the Ordovices during the Roman conquest of Britain, the Romans occupied the region until the end of Roman rule in Britain in 382, after which Caernarfon became part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. In the late 11th century, William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle at Caernarfon as part of the Norman invasion of Wales. He was unsuccessful, and Wales remained independent until around 1283, in the 13th century, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, ruler of Gwynedd, refused to pay homage to Edward I of England, prompting the English conquest of Gwynedd. This was followed by the construction of Caernarfon Castle, one of the largest and most imposing fortifications built by the English in Wales. The ascent of the House of Tudor to the throne of England eased hostilities between the English and resulted in Caernarfon Castle falling into a state of disrepair. The city has flourished, leading to its status as a major tourist centre and seat of Gwynedd Council, with a thriving harbour, Caernarfon has expanded beyond its medieval walls and experienced heavy suburbanisation. Its population includes the largest percentage of Welsh-speaking citizens anywhere in Wales, the status of Royal Borough was granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1963 and amended to Royal Town in 1974. The castle and town walls are part of a World Heritage Site described as the Castles, the present city of Caernarfon grew up around and owes its name to its Norman and Edwardian fortifications. The earlier British and Romano-British settlement at Segontium was named for the nearby Afon Seiont, the work states that the inscribed tomb of Constantius the Emperor was still present in the 9th century. The medieval romance about Maximus and Elen, Macsens Dream, calls her home Caer Aber Sein, the Norman motte was erected apart from the existing settlement and came to be known as y gaer yn Arfon, the fortress in Arfon. A1221 charter by Llywelyn the Great to the canons of Penmon priory on Anglesey mentions Kaerinarfon, in 1283, King Edward I completed his conquest of Wales which he secured by a chain of castles and walled towns. The construction of a new stone Caernarfon Castle seems to have started as soon as the campaign had finished, edwards architect, James of St. George, may well have modelled the castle on the walls of Constantinople, possibly being aware of the towns legendary associations. Edwards fourth son, Edward of Caernarfon, later Edward II of England, was born at the castle in April 1284, Caernarfon was constituted a borough in 1284 by charter of Edward I

22.
Caernarfon town walls
–
Caernarfons town walls are a medieval defensive structure around the town of Caernarfon in North Wales. The walls were constructed between 1283 and 1292 after the foundation of Caernarfon by Edward I, alongside the adjacent castle, the walls are 734 m long and include eight towers and two medieval gatehouses. The project was completed using large numbers of labourers brought in from England, the cost of building the walls came to around £3,500, the walls were significantly damaged during the rebellion of Madog ap Llywelyn in 1294, and had to be repaired at considerable expense. Political changes in the 16th century reduced the need to maintain such defences around the town, today the walls form part of the UNESCO world heritage site administered by Cadw. Historians Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham describe the defences as a remarkably intact walled circuit. Before the English construction of the town of Caernarfon, the area had been occupied first by the Romans, who built the fort of Segontium, and later by both the Normans and the Welsh princes. As a result of long history, depicted in the Welsh saga of Mabinogion. Edward invaded with a army, pushing north from Carmarthen and westwards from Montgomery. By summer 1283 Edward had secured Caernarfon and the surrounding area, the king decided that the location would become the centre of a new county and the capital of the principality of North Wales, with a new castle and walled town forming the administrative centre. Traditionally Caernarfons design and defences have been thought to have inspired by the growth of the bastides. More recent research, however, has shown that English town design played a significant role in shaping Caernarfon. In the case of Caernarfon, the plan and walls were adapted to fit around the site of the former Norman castle on the site. The walls of Caernarfon were built at the time as the castle, under the overall supervision of Master James of Saint George. Huge amounts of labourers were mobilised from across England for the task, massed at Chester, work on the walls progressed quickly, albeit in uneven bursts, local houses were demolished to make way for the fortifications and the stone walls and gates were probably finished by 1292. The cost of building the walls was around £3,500. Otto de Grandson, a favourite of Edward I, was appointed as constable of Caernarfon and justiciar of North Wales, in 1294, however, Madog ap Llywelyn revolted against English rule and undertook a wide campaign across North Wales, attacking the town of Caernarfon. Despite the walls, the town was overrun, the badly damaged. Edward responded with force the next year, he retook Caernarfon and ordered the town walls to be fully repaired by November 1295

23.
Richard Grey, 3rd Earl of Kent
–
Richard Grey, 3rd Earl of Kent KG was an English peer. He was a son of George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent and his maternal grandparents were Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. His father was married to Catherine Herbert. His paternal half-brothers included Henry Grey, 4th Earl of Kent and his mother was previously married to William Bourchier, Viscount Bourchier. His maternal half-siblings included Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex, Cecily was mother to Walter Devereux, 1st Viscount Hereford. His first wife was Elizabeth Hussey and she was a daughter of Sir William Hussey and Elizabeth Berkeley. Her father had served as Attorney General for England and Wales from 16 June 1471 to 7 May 1481 and Lord Chief Justice of England and his second wife was Margaret Fynche, daughter of James Fynche. There were no children from either marriage. He was created a Knight of the Garter in 1505, alongside the latter Henry Stafford, Richard wound up heavily in debt, probably through gambling, and was forced to alienate most of his property. A good part ended up in the hands, historians disagree regarding what this says about the relationship of Henry VII of England with the aristocracy. Richard died childless and was succeeded as earl by his half-brother Henry, Henry tried, with little success, to reacquire the property Richard had sold, and had to live as a modest gentleman, never formally taking title as earl. The first edition of text is available as an article on Wikisource, Hussey. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, maddison, A. R. ed. Lincolnshire Pedigrees, Vol. II

24.
Chepstow Castle
–
Chepstow Castle at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Located above cliffs on the River Wye, construction began in 1067 under the instruction of the Norman Lord William fitzOsbern, in the 12th century the castle was used in the conquest of Gwent, the first independent Welsh kingdom to be conquered by the Normans. It was subsequently held by two of the most powerful Anglo-Norman magnates of medieval England, William Marshal and Richard de Clare, however, by the 16th century its military importance had waned and parts of its structure were converted into domestic ranges. Although re-garrisoned during and after the English Civil War, by the 1700s it had fallen into decay, with the later growth of tourism, the castle became a popular visitor destination. The ruins were Grade I listed on 6 December 1950, Chepstow Castle is situated on a narrow ridge between the limestone river cliff and a valley, known locally as the Dell, on its landward side. Its full extent is best appreciated from the bank of the River Wye. The castle has four baileys, added in turn through its history, despite this, it is not a defensively strong castle, having neither a strong keep nor a concentric layout. The multiple baileys instead show its construction history, which is considered in four major phases. The first serious study of Chepstow began in 1904 and the canonical description was long considered to be by Perks in 1955. Recent studies have revised the details of phases, but still maintain the same broad structure. The speed with which William the Conqueror committed to the creation of a castle at Chepstow is testament to its strategic importance, the site overlooked an important crossing point on the River Wye, a major artery of communications inland to Monmouth and Hereford. However, recent analysis suggests that the rulers of Gwent, who had fought against King Harold. The precipitous limestone cliffs beside the river afforded an excellent defensive location, building work started under William FitzOsbern in 1067 or shortly afterwards. The Great Tower was probably completed by about 1090, possibly intended as a show of strength by King William in dealing with the Welsh king Rhys ap Tewdwr. It was constructed in stone from the first, marking its importance as a stronghold on the border between England and Wales. Although much of the stone seems to have been quarried locally, the castle originally had the Norman name of Striguil, derived from the Welsh word ystraigl meaning river bend. FitzOsbern also founded a priory nearby, and the market town. The castle and the associated Marcher lordship were generally known as Striguil until the late 14th century, further fortifications were added by William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, starting in the 1190s

25.
Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester
–
Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, KG was the legitimised bastard son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset by his mistress Joan Hill. He was born in about 1460, an son of Henry Beaufort. He was invested as a Knight of the Garter in about 1496, on 1 February 1514 he was created Earl of Worcester and was at some time appointed Lord Chamberlain of the Household to King Henry VIII. As Lord Chamberlain, Somerset was largely responsible for the preparations for the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520. He married three times, although his marriage is uncertain, Firstly on 2 June 1492, to Elizabeth Herbert. Secondly to Elizabeth West, daughter of Sir Thomas West, 8th Baron De La Warr and his supposed marriage to Elizabeth West, however, may be an error made by Dugdale, repeated by later writers. Thirdly to Eleanor Sutton, daughter of Edward Sutton, 2nd Lord Dudley, Somerset died on 15 April 1526 and was buried with his first wife at St. Georges Chapel. Burke, John, Burkes genealogical and heraldic history of peerage, baronetage and knightage, G. P. Putnams Sons, gurney, E. Henry, Reference handbook for readers, students, and teachers of English history, Ginn & Company, Boston,1890. McClain, Molly, Beaufort, the duke and his duchess, 1657-1715, Yale University Press,2001

26.
St Fagans National Museum of History
–
The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. It consists of more than forty re-erected buildings from various locations in Wales, and is set in the grounds of St Fagans Castle, magazine named the museum the United Kingdoms favourite visitor attraction. The museum was started in 1946 following the donation of the castle and it opened its doors to the public in 1948, under the name of the Welsh Folk Museum. The brainchild of Iorwerth Peate, the museum was modelled on Skansen, the museum holds displays of traditional crafts with a working blacksmith forge, a pottery, a weaver, miller, and clog maker. It also includes two working water mills, one mill and one wool mill. Part of the site includes a working farm which concentrates on preserving local Welsh native breeds of livestock. Produce from the bakery and flour mill is available for sale. The medieval parish church of Saint Teilo, formerly at Llandeilo Tal-y-bont in west Glamorgan, was opened in October 2007 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, a Tudor merchants house from Haverfordwest, opened in 2012, is the latest building to be added to the museums collection. Future plans include the relocation of the historic Vulcan public house from Newtown in Cardiff, there is a row of workers cottages, depicting furnishing from 1800–1985, from Rhyd-y-car near Merthyr Tydfil, as well as the pristine Oakdale Workmens Institute. Even a post-war prefabricated bungalow has been erected on the grounds, since 1996 the museum has hosted the Everyman Summer Theatre Festival when it re-located from Dyffryn Gardens. This festival, which includes a Shakespeare play, a Musical, scenes from the Doctor Who episodes Human Nature and The Family of Blood were filmed at the museum. It is planned that The Vulcan Hotel that was located in Adam Street, Cardiff. It had originally opened in 1853, but closed for the last time in May 2012 and it is hoped to restore the pub as it would have looked in 1915. In 2012 it was announced that Raglan railway station would be rebuilt at the museum

Wales ((listen); Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəmri] (listen)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of …

Britain in AD 500: The areas shaded pink on the map were inhabited by the CelticBritons, here labelled Welsh. The pale blue areas in the east were controlled by Germanic tribes, whilst the pale green areas to the north were inhabited by the Gaels and Picts.